RePARE Community Networks Project Report

Community Referral Networks (CRNs) act as community care planning systems that facilitate connections between community stakeholders to help community members access essential resources like food, heat, housing, and other services. CRNs are enabled by a data architecture that facilitates coordinated referral, tracking, reporting, and measurement.

Unfortunately, CRNs have been under threat in recent years due to the increasing investment of large technology companies and private hospital systems in separate health information navigation platforms, which only include connections with a few community-based service providers.

The Research to Pursue and Advance Racial Equity through Community Networks (RePARE) liberatory design project assessed the operational structure, financial makeup, and community impact of CRN to enhance both community health and racial equity.

We are hopeful the findings, goals and recommendations outlined in this report advance conversations around how we can collectively ensure the impact and financial sustainability of CRNs as they continue to play a critical role in the health of our communities and spur action towards a more equitable future.

Additional Resources

• Blog: Investing in Community Health and Community-led Design: Lessons Learned from the RePARE Project
• Webinar recordings: Investing in Referral Networks to Advance Racial Health Equity
• Learn more about our Community Referral Network Initiative
• Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on the latest CRN efforts